50 years service for the NFU Mutual Honley!

We don't see many people these days completing 10 years of service, let alone an impressive 50 years!
By Zoe Lowery-BatemanContributor
Published 23rd Feb 2024, 11:47 BST

Kathleen Bridge of Honley, has recently completed an impressive 50 years of service for the NFU Mutual Honley branch.

'Kath' started her employment with NFU Mutual on the 24th February, 1974 - where she worked alongside Tim Coy who was agent at the time. Her insurance career started in Tim's garage in Holmfirth, where she worked from makeshift desks of old sideboards and worktops. Highlights of this time was working using the old manual typewriter in her fingerless gloves.

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After several years spent working in the garage, the business had grown dramatically where Tim and Kath found themselves moving to a larger office in Thongsbridge where they transitioned from cardboard box filling systems to metal cabinets with professional suspension files.

Matthew Gummerson, Kath Bridge & Robert Nobles Celebrating 50 Years ServiceMatthew Gummerson, Kath Bridge & Robert Nobles Celebrating 50 Years Service
Matthew Gummerson, Kath Bridge & Robert Nobles Celebrating 50 Years Service

Fast forward to 11th December 1991, Robert Nobles joined the growing team as an Agent alongside Tim and the daily processes moved along from the familiar pen and paper method to computers, photocopiers and the fascinating fax machine.

A further move was made in 1992, to a larger office in Honley village center, where Kath embraced the move along with the technolgy changes and never failed to do the daily back up onto the 'floppy disks'.

Kath remembers regular trips to the local Post Office for stamps where she had to fight the temptation for bags of 4oz boiled sweets.

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The NFU Mutual agency moved to their present location of Cowley House in Queens Sqaure Business Park in Honley in 2006, and has rapidly grown over the years to employing numerous members of staff with Matthew Gummerson joining Robert Nobles as agent in 2010.

Celebrating her 50 years of service, Kath joins the team two days a week and is responsible for processing all insurance renewals reaching their customers.

Kath regularly enjoys the team building outings, being one of the most competitive members of the team. Ten pin bowling is her favourite and is a strike queen!

In November 2022, Kath celebrated her 80th birthday and confirmed to the Holney agency that she had no plans to retire any time soon - which they are all thankful for.

The NFU Mutual Honley agency are so proud of Kath and her wonderful achievement and welcomes the years of continued service with open arms!